Electronic device

ABSTRACT

An electronic device can include a housing defining an aperture and a display assembly at least partially positioned in the aperture. The display assembly can include a substrate having a conductive portion, a display layer having pixels, a touch sensitive layer positioned on a first side of the substrate, an operational component positioned on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side, and a flexible electrical connector electrically coupled with the conductive portion and the operational component. The flexible electrical connector can include an electromagnetic antenna. A transparent cover can overlay the display assembly and can be secured to the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/019,151,filed 11 Sep. 2020, and entitled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS FOR ELECTRONICDEVICES,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 63/037,987, filed 11 Jun. 2020, and entitled “ELECTRONIC DEVICE,”the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to electronic devices. Moreparticularly, the present embodiments relate to wearable electronicdevices.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices are increasingly being designed with deviceportability in mind, for example to allow users to use these devices ina wide variety of situations and environments. In the context ofwearable devices, these devices can be designed to include manydifferent functionalities and to be operated in many different locationsand environments. The components of an electronic device, for example,the processors, memory, antennas, display, and other components canpartially determine a level of performance of the electronic device.Further, the arrangement of these components with respect to one anotherin the device can also determine the level of performance of theelectronic device.

Continued advances in electronic devices and their components haveenabled considerable increases in performance. Existing components andstructures for electronic devices can, however, limit the levels ofperformance of such devices. For example, while some components canachieve high levels of performance in some situations, the inclusion ofmultiple components in devices sized to enhance portability can limitthe performance of the components, and thus, the performance of thedevice. Consequently, further tailoring and arrangement of componentsfor electronic devices to provide additional or enhanced functionality,without introducing or increasing undesirable device properties, can bedesirable.

SUMMARY

According to some aspects of the present disclosure, an electronicdevice can comprise a housing defining an aperture, a display assemblyat least partially positioned in the aperture, the display assemblycomprising a substrate comprising a conductive portion, a display layercomprising pixels, the display layer positioned on a first side of thesubstrate, a touch sensitive layer positioned on the first side of thesubstrate, an operational component positioned on a second side of thesubstrate opposite the first side, a flexible electrical connector inelectrical communication with the conductive portion and the operationalcomponent, the flexible electrical connector comprising anelectromagnetic antenna, and a transparent cover overlying the displayassembly and secured to the housing.

In some examples, the flexible electrical connector comprises a firstflexible electrical connector, and the electronic device furthercomprises a second flexible electrical connector, comprising a displaycontact portion in electrical communication with the display layer, anda touch contact portion in electrical communication with the touchsensitive layer, the display contact portion and the touch contactportion joined together at an end portion of the second flexibleelectrical connector. The second flexible electrical connector has anL-shape. The second flexible electrical connector is in electricalcommunication with the display layer and the touch sensitive layerthrough the substrate. The second flexible electrical connector ispositioned on the second side of the substrate, and the display assemblyfurther comprises a portion of conductive material overlying the displaycontact portion and spanning an entire width thereof, the conductivematerial electrically grounding the display contact portion. The portionof conductive material has a thickness of about 100 microns or less. Theportion of conductive material comprises a conductive pressure sensitiveadhesive. The antenna comprises an NFC antenna.

According to some aspects, a housing assembly of an electronic devicecan comprise a housing component at least partially defining an exteriorsurface and an internal volume of the electronic device, the housingcomponent further defining an aperture, a first planar surface at leastpartially surrounding a periphery of the aperture, and a housingsidewall adjacent to at least a portion of a periphery of the firstplanar surface opposite the aperture, a sealing component adhered to thefirst planar surface and surrounding the aperture, and a transparentcover overlying the aperture and defining a second planar surfaceadhered on the sealing component opposite the first planar surface, anda cover sidewall oriented perpendicular to the first planar surface andspaced apart from the housing sidewall by a distance.

In some examples, the sealing component comprises a first adhesive layeradhered to the first planar surface, a second adhesive layer adhered tothe second planar surface, and a compliant layer disposed between thefirst adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer. The compliant layercomprises silicone rubber. The housing assembly can further comprise afirst polymer layer disposed between the compliant layer and the firstadhesive layer, and a second polymer layer disposed between thecompliant layer and the second adhesive layer. The compliant layer has aShore A hardness of between 5 and 15. The sealing component has athickness of between 200 microns and 600 microns. The compliant layerhas a thickness of between 50 microns and 500 microns. The sealingcomponent prevents ingress of liquids into the internal volume atlocations between the housing component and the transparent cover.

According to some aspects, an electronic device can comprise a housingat least partially defining an exterior surface and an internal volumeof the electronic device, the housing further defining an aperture, asealing surface at least partially surrounding a periphery of theaperture, and a datum surface offset from the mounting surface and atleast partially surrounding the periphery of the aperture, anelectromagnetically transparent cover at least partially occluding theaperture and secured to the housing, the electromagnetically transparentcover defining a planar surface having a shape corresponding to a shapeof the periphery of the aperture, the planar surface contacting thedatum surface and offset from the sealing surface, and a sealingcomponent disposed between and contacting the sealing surface and theplanar surface.

In some examples, the sealing component comprises a metallic ring havinga shape corresponding to a shape of the periphery of the aperture, and apolymer material surrounding the metallic ring. The sealing surfacecomprises a region that is sloped relative to the sealing surface. Thesealing component has a round cross-sectional shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of an electronic device.

FIG. 1B shows a top perspective view of an electronic device.

FIG. 1C shows a bottom perspective view of the electronic device of FIG.1B.

FIG. 1D shows an exploded view of an electronic device.

FIG. 2A shows a top cross-sectional top view of an electronic device.

FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of a battery of the electronic deviceof FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of the electronic device of FIG.2A.

FIG. 2D shows a side view of a components of the electronic device ofFIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A shows a side view of a component of an electronic device.

FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of the component of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A shows top and close-up views of a portion of an electronicdevice.

FIG. 4B shows a top view of a component of the electronic device of FIG.4A.

FIG. 4C shows a cross-sectional view of the component of the electronicdevice of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D shows a top view of the component of the electronic device ofFIG. 4A.

FIG. 4E shows a top view of the component of the electronic device ofFIG. 4A in an alternative configuration.

FIG. 5A shows an exploded view of a portion of an electronic device.

FIG. 5B shows a cross-sectional view of the electronic device of FIG.5A.

FIG. 5C shows an exploded view of a component of the electronic deviceof FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A shows a top cross-sectional view of an electronic device.

FIG. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the electronicdevice of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C shows a cross-sectional view of a component of the electronicdevice of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6D shows a rear view of the component of the electronic device ofFIG. 6A.

FIG. 7A shows a partially unassembled view of an electronic device.

FIG. 7B shows a top view of a portion of the electronic device of FIG.7A.

FIG. 7C shows a top view of a portion of the electronic device of FIG.7A.

FIG. 8A shows a bottom perspective view of a portion of an electronicdevice.

FIG. 8B shows a bottom perspective view of a portion of the electronicdevice of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C shows a top view of a portion of the electronic device of FIG.8A.

FIG. 8D shows a top view of a portion of the electronic device of FIG.8A.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a component of an electronic device.

FIG. 10A shows an exploded view of a portion of an electronic device.

FIG. 10B shows a cross-sectional view of the electronic device of FIG.10A.

FIG. 11A shows an exploded view of a portion of an electronic device.

FIG. 11B shows a cross-sectional view of a component of the electronicdevice of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11C shows a rear view of a component of the electronic device ofFIG. 11A.

FIG. 12A shows an exploded view of a portion of an electronic device.

FIG. 12B shows a top view of a portion of the electronic device of FIG.12A.

FIG. 12C shows a cross-sectional view of the portion of the electronicdevice of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12D shows a cross-sectional view of the portion of the electronicdevice of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12E shows a cross-sectional view of a component of an electronicdevice.

FIG. 12F shows a cross-sectional view of a component of an electronicdevice.

FIG. 12G shows a cross-sectional view of a component of an electronicdevice.

FIG. 13A shows a perspective view of a component of an electronicdevice.

FIG. 13B shows a top view of the component of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 13C shows a perspective view of a component of an electronicdevice.

FIG. 13D shows a top view of the component of FIG. 13C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included withinthe spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by theappended claims.

The architecture and components of the electronic devices describedherein can allow for configurations and designs that can maximize theavailable space or volume in an internal volume defined by a housing ofthe device that is available to be occupied by one or more components.For example, certain aspects of device performance, such as batterylife, can be improved by increasing the size or volume of the battery ofthe device. Additionally, or alternatively, the device itself could bereduced in size while achieving similar or even improved levels ofperformance.

In addition to saving space or providing other useful or desirablefeatures, the architectures and components described herein can alsopresent challenges to traditional techniques for grounding or tuningantennas present in the device. Accordingly, the devices and componentsdescribed herein can include configurations and features that allow forthe optimization and improvement of the performance of one or moreantennas contained in such a device. For example, one or more componentscan act as both operational components and antenna radiating elements.The grounding of various components of the device, as well as theantennas, can also be controlled, tuned, or designed in order to achievedesired levels of performance.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to FIGS.1-13D. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatthe detailed description given herein with respect to these Figures isfor explanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1A shows an example of an electronic device 100. The electronicdevice shown in FIG. 1A is a watch, such as a smartwatch. The smartwatchof FIG. 1A is merely one representative example of a device that can beused in conjunction with the systems and methods disclosed herein.Electronic device 100 can correspond to any form of wearable electronicdevice, a portable media player, a media storage device, a portabledigital assistant (“PDA”), a tablet computer, a computer, a mobilecommunication device, a GPS unit, a remote control device, or otherelectronic device. The electronic device 100 can be referred to as anelectronic device, or a consumer device. In some examples, theelectronic device 100 can include a housing 101 that can carryoperational components, for example, in an internal volume at leastpartially defined by the housing. The electronic device 100 can alsoinclude a strap 103, or other retaining component that can secured thedevice 100 to a body of a user as desired. Further details of theelectronic device are provided below with reference to FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1B illustrates a smartwatch 200 that can be substantially similarto, and can include some or all of the features of the devices describedherein, such as electronic device 100. The device 200 can include ahousing 202, and a display assembly 210 attached to the housing. Thehousing 202 can substantially define at least a portion of an exteriorsurface of the device 200.

The display assembly 210 can include a glass, a plastic, or any othersubstantially transparent exterior layer, material, component, orassembly. The display assembly 210 can include multiple layers, witheach layer providing a unique function, as described herein.Accordingly, the display assembly 210 can be, or can be a part of, aninterface component. The display assembly 210 can define a frontexterior surface of the device 200 and, as described herein, thisexterior surface can be considered an interface surface. In someexamples, the interface surface defined by display assembly 210 canreceive inputs, such as touch inputs, from a user.

In some examples, the housing 202 can be a substantially continuous orunitary component and can define one or more openings to receivecomponents of the electronic device 200. In some examples, the device200 can include input components such as one or more buttons 224 and/ora crown 222 that can be disposed in the openings. In some examples, amaterial can be disposed between the buttons 224 and/or crown 222 andthe housing 202 to provide an airtight and/or watertight seal at thelocations of the openings. The housing 202 can also define one or moreopenings or apertures, such as aperture 204 that can allow for sound topass into or out of the internal volume defined by the housing 202. Forexample, the aperture 204 can be in communication with a microphonecomponent disposed in the internal volume. In some examples, the housing202 can define or include a feature, such as an indentation 206 toremovably couple the housing 202 and a strap or retaining component.

FIG. 1C shows a bottom perspective view of the electronic device 200.The device 200 can include a back cover 230 that can be attached to thehousing 202, for example, opposite the display assembly 210. The backcover 230 can include ceramic, plastic, metal, or combinations thereof.In some examples, the back cover 230 can include an at least partiallyelectromagnetically transparent component 232. The electromagneticallytransparent component 232 can be transparent to any desired wavelengthsof electromagnetic radiation, such as visible light, infrared light,radio waves, or combinations thereof. In some examples, theelectromagnetically transparent component 232 can allow sensors and/oremitters disposed in the housing 202 to communicate with the externalenvironment. Together, the housing 202, display assembly 210 and backcover 230 can substantially define an internal volume and an externalsurface of the device 200.

FIG. 1D illustrates an exploded view of a smartwatch 300 that can besubstantially similar to, and can include some or all of the features ofthe devices described herein, such as electronic devices 100 and 200.The device 300 can include a housing 302, a display assembly 310, and aback cover 330. Together, the housing 302, display assembly 310, andback cover 330 can define an exterior surface and an internal volume ofthe device 300.

The housing 302 can be a substantially continuous or unitary component,and can define one or more openings 304, 306, 308 to receive componentsof the electronic device 300 and/or to provide access to an internalportion of the electronic device 300. In some examples, the device 300can include input components such as one or more buttons 348 and/or acrown 344 that can be disposed in the openings 306, 308. A microphone346 can be disposed in the internal volume in communication with theexternal or ambient environment through the opening 304.

The display assembly 310 can be received by and can be attached to thehousing 302. The display assembly can include a cover 314 including atransparent material, such as plastic, glass, and/or ceramic. Thedisplay assembly 310 can also include a display stack 312 that caninclude multiple layers and components, each of which can perform one ormore desired functions. For example, the display stack 312 can include adisplay layer 312 that can include a touch detection layer 965 orcomponent and one or more display layers or components that can includeone or more pixels and/or light emitting portions to display visualcontent and/or information to a user. In some examples, the displaylayer or component 312 can include a liquid crystal display (LCD), alight emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode(OLED) display, and/or any other form of display. The display layer 312can also include one or more electrical connectors (e.g., conductiveportions 955 and 957 shown in FIG. 7A) to provide signals and/or powerto the display layer 312 from other components of the device 300.

In some examples, the device 300 can include a gasket or seal 316 thatcan be disposed between the display assembly 310 and the housing 302 tosubstantially define a barrier to the ingress of liquids or moistureinto the internal volume from the external environment at the locationof the seal 316. As described herein, the seal 316 can include polymer,metal, and/or ceramic materials. The device 300 can also include a seal334 that can be disposed between the housing 302 and the back cover 330to substantially define a barrier to the ingress of liquids or moistureinto the internal volume from the external environment at the locationof the seal 334. In some examples, the display assembly 310 canoptionally include a force sensitive layer or component. For example,the force sensitive layer can be located near or adjacent to the seal316, although the force sensitive component can be located or positionedat any desired location of the display assembly 310. Further, in someexamples, the gasket 316 can be compliant and can allow for a desiredamount of deformation to enable the cover 314 or other portions of thedisplay assembly 310 to move relative to the housing 302. In someexamples, this amount of movement can be used by a force sensitive layerof the display assembly 310 to detect an amount of force applied to thecover 314. In some examples, and as described herein, this movement canserve to dissipate force applied to the cover 314 during high forceevents. As described herein, the seal 334 can include polymer, metal,and/or ceramic materials. The seal 334 can be substantially similar toand can include some or all of the features of the seal 316.

The device 300 can also include internal components, such as a hapticengine 324, a battery 322, and a logic board 340, also referred to as amain logic board 340 that can include a system in package (SiP) 342disposed thereon, including one or more integrated circuits, such asprocessors, sensors, and memory. The SiP can also include a package.

In some examples, internal components can be disposed below the mainlogic board 340 and can be disposed at least partially in a portion ofthe internal volume defined by the back cover 330. For example, thedevice 300 can include an electromagnetic shielding component, otherwisereferred to as an e-shield 352 that can shield other components in thedevice 300 from electromagnetic radiation from the ambient environmentand/or as emitted by other components in the device 300. The device 300can also include a second logic board 350 that can be in communicationwith one or more sensors or emitters of the device 300, for example toreceive information or signals from an external environment. In someexamples, the second logic board 350 can also include a SiP. In someexamples, the device 300 can include one or more wireless antennas, suchas the antenna 354 that can be in electrical communication with one ormore other components of the device 300. In some examples, the antenna354 can receive and/or transmit wireless signals at one or morefrequencies and can be, for example, one or more of a cellular antennasuch as an LTE antenna, a Wi-Fi antenna, a Bluetooth antenna, a GPSantenna, a multifrequency antenna, and the like. The antenna 354 can becommunicatively coupled to one or more additional components of theelectronic device 300

The internal components can be disposed within the internal volumedefined at least partially by the housing 302, and can be affixed to thehousing 302 via adhesives, internal surfaces, attachment features,threaded connectors, studs, posts, or other features, that are formedinto, defined by, or otherwise part of the housing 302 and/or the cover318 and/or back cover 330.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurationsdescribed herein can be included in an electronic device, as describedherein. The components can include any combination of the featuresdescribed herein, and can be arranged in any of the variousconfigurations described herein. The structure and arrangement ofcomponents of a device, as well as the concepts regarding their use canapply not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but to anynumber of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronicdevices and electronic device components including some having variousfeatures in various arrangements are described below, with reference toFIGS. 2A-3B.

FIG. 2A shows a top cross-sectional view of an electronic device thatcan be substantially similar to, and can include some or all of thefeatures of the electronic devices described herein. In some examples, ahousing 402 can define an internal volume with components containedtherein. Several components have been omitted for simplicity, but thehousing 402 can contain a battery 422 and a haptic feedback module 424positioned near or adjacent to the battery 422. Other components of thedevice can also be positioned near the battery, such as a crown 444, amicrophone module 446, and a button 448.

In order to maximize the size of the battery 422, and thus maximize theperformance of the device, it can be desirable to have as large abattery as possible and to arrange the components of the device to allowfor a relatively large battery volume. In some examples, the battery 422is rechargeable. In some examples, the battery can be greater than about240 milliamp hours (mAh), greater than about 250 mAh, greater than about260 mAh, greater than about 270 mAh, or greater than about 280 mAh, ormore. The battery 422 can be any type of battery desired, such as alithium-ion battery, lithium polymer battery, metal-air battery,nickel-containing battery, or any form of battery developed in thefuture.

Further, the position of the battery 422 and the volume or space betweenthe battery and adjacent components can influence the performance of oneor more antennas of the device. In some examples, a distance between theexterior of the battery 422 and an adjacent component can be at leastabout 0.3 mm, at least about 0.4 mm, at least about 0.5 mm, or at leastabout 0.6 mm. Accordingly, the battery can be fixed in a desiredlocation by one or more components. For example, the battery 422 can befixed to the housing 402 or another component of the device byadhesives, such as pressure sensitive adhesives, by fixtures such asscrews that can mate with or pass through features defined by a flangelocated on the battery 422. Further, the location of the battery 422 canbe fixed with the use of brackets, shims, foams, or combinationsthereof.

FIG. 2B shows a perspective view of the battery 422 including a batteryhousing that includes a top portion or wall 427, a bottom portion orwall (now shown), and sidewalls 425. The top portion 427 can overhangthe sidewalls 425 at one or more locations to define a flange or a shelf426 that can protrude at least partially beyond a plane defined by asidewall. The battery 422 can also include one or more operational orelectronic components, such as a processor or a controller, a printedcircuit board, and the like, that can regulate the power flow betweenthe battery 422 and other components of the device. In some examples,the electronic components of the battery 422 can be overmolded orencased with a polymeric material to form a system in package (SiP) 423that is in electrical communication with the battery 422. The overmoldmaterial can serve to support the components on a printed circuit boardand can reduce the amount of stress experienced by solder joints betweenthe components and the board, thereby requiring a smaller amount ofsolder to achieve a reliable electrical connection. Accordingly, abattery 422 including a SiP 423 including a processor can have a smalleroverall size while maintaining the same electrical capacity as atraditional battery.

FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of the electronic device of FIG.2A, showing the battery 422 positioned adjacent to the housing 402, withthe flange 426 of the battery protruding over a portion of a sidewall ofthe housing 402 that at least partially defines the internal volume ofthe device. In this way, the shape of the battery 422 can be contouredto the housing 402 and/or any available volume within the housing toprovide a battery 422 having as large a volume as desired withoutrequiring significant modifications to the architecture or design of thedevice or its components. Additionally, as shown, the transitionsbetween portions of the exterior of the battery 422 can be substantiallycurved.

FIG. 2D shows a side view of the battery 422 and the adjacent hapticfeedback module 424. As can be seen, the height of the flange 426 of thebattery 422 can correspond to the height of the haptic feedback module424 in order to maximize the available volume of the battery 422. Insome examples, the height of the flange 426 can be higher or above theheight of the haptic feedback module 424 in order to enable at least aportion of the haptic feedback module 424 to nest under the flange 426.Further, portions of the haptic feedback module 424, such as electroniccomponents and/or flexible electrical connectors 429 can be sized,shaped, and positioned to fit below the flange 426 of the battery inorder to enable the battery 422 to be positioned relatively close to thehaptic feedback module 424 or other components, thereby allowing for alarger available battery volume, and thus, a larger available capacity.As used herein, the term flexible electrical connector can be used torefer to any type of flexible electrical component or circuit that canbe electrically coupled to one or more other components of the device. Aflexible electrical connector can also be referred to as a ribbon cableor ribbon connector. The flexible electrical connector can be connectedto one or more components by a permanent or semi-permanent connection,such as soldering, and/or the flexible electrical connector can includea connection portion that can removably or attachably couple to acorresponding portion on a component to provide an electricalconnection.

In some examples, the haptic feedback module 424 can be secured oraffixed to the housing or other structure by a bracket 430. In someexamples, the bracket 430 can define one or features to receive one ormore retention components 432. In some examples, a retention component432 can pass through an aperture defined by the bracket 430 to bereceived and/or retained by a corresponding retention feature 431defined by the housing or another structural component of the device. Insome examples, the retention component 432 can comprise a screw, bolt,or rivet. In some examples, the retention component 432 can definethreads and the retention feature 431 can define corresponding threads.

In some examples, the bracket 430 can be secured by one, two, three,four, or even more retention components 432. For example, the bracket430 can be secured by two retention components 432. In some examples,the retention components 432 can be disposed at a single end or regionof the bracket 430 so that the bracket 403 is cantilevered.

In some examples, one or more of the retention components 432 can be atleast partially disposed below at least a portion of the battery 422.This design can allow for the haptic feedback module 424 to be securelyfastened to the device with a bracket 430 while still allowing for thehaptic feedback module 424 to be positioned close or adjacent to thebattery 422. For example, the battery 422 can define a curved region oredge 421 and the retention component 432 can be positioned below and/oradjacent to the curved region 421. In some examples, the curved region421 can have a two-dimensional curvature or a three-dimensionalcurvature. In some examples, the retention component 432 can have a topportion that defines a curved surface. In some examples, the curvedsurface of the retention component 432 can allow for the retentioncomponent 432 to be nested or positioned at least partially below thebattery 422, such as below the curved region 421. Further details of ahaptic feedback module are described below with reference to FIGS. 3Aand 3B.

FIG. 3A shows a side view of a haptic feedback module 524 that can besubstantially similar to, and can include some or all of the features ofthe components described herein, such as haptic feedback module 424. Ascan be seen, the haptic feedback module 524 can include a housing or anenclosure 525 that can at least partially define a module volume and aninternal volume housing parts or components of the haptic feedbackmodule 524, such as a translatable mass, and an actuator or motor fortranslating the mass, for example, in a linear manner. The enclosure 525can have a substantially rectangular or rectangular prismatic shape,although the enclosure 525 can be substantially any desired shape. Insome examples, a transition between a top surface of the enclosure 525and side surfaces can be substantially curved or rounded, for example,to provide clearance for adjacent components, such as a battery, asdescribed with reference to FIGS. 2A-2D. In some examples, the enclosure525 can be a substantially unitary component, or can be a two-partcomponent.

The haptic feedback module 524 can also include an electrical connector528 that can be in electrical communication with, and can providesignals to and from, other components of the device. In some examples,the flexible connector 528 can be attached to a connection portion 529.In some examples, the bend radius of the flexible electrical connector528 can be selected to have a relatively small radius of curvature andto allow the haptic feedback module 524 to be positioned near oradjacent to the other components, such as a battery, or the housing ofthe device. FIG. 3B shows a perspective view of the haptic feedbackmodule 524, including the rounded transitions 523 from the top portionof the enclosure 525 to the side portions, as well as the location ofthe flexible connector 528.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurationsdescribed herein can be included in an electronic device as describedherein. The components can include any combination of the featuresdescribed herein and can be arranged in any of the variousconfigurations described herein. The structure and arrangement ofcomponents of a device, as well as the concepts regarding can apply notonly to the specific examples discussed herein, but to any number ofembodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronic devicesand electronic device components including those having various featuresin various arrangements are described below, with reference to FIGS.4A-5C.

FIG. 4A shows partial top view of an electronic device 600 that can besubstantially similar to, and can include some or all of the featuresof, the devices described herein, such as device 300. The device 600 caninclude a housing 602 that can at least partially define an exteriorsurface and an internal volume of the device. The housing 602 can alsodefine one or more apertures 604 that can be in communication with aportion of the internal volume and the ambient environment.

As shown, one or more components or modules can be disposed at theaperture 604, such as a speaker module 626 that can be in communicationwith the ambient environment, and that can also act as a seal or abarrier between the ambient environment and the internal volume. In someexample situations, such as when the device 600 is submerged in water,the relatively large area of the speaker module 626 that is exposed tothe environment can be subjected to relatively high amounts of waterpressure, shown as arrows in FIG. 4A. That is, immersion of the device600 in water, or other environments, can result in a high load or forcebeing applied to the speaker module 626. Accordingly, it can bedesirable for the speaker module 626 to have a high level of stiffnessto resist deformation or flexure in response to this force in order tomaintain a barrier or seal and prevent ingress of the water orenvironmental contaminants into the internal volume. Further, becausethe speaker module 626 is disposed in the internal volume, it can bedesirable for the speaker module 626 to be as thin as possible in orderto maximize the area or volume available for other components, such as abattery 622.

FIG. 4B shows a top cross-sectional view of the speaker module 626 shownin FIG. 4A. The speaker module 626 can include a housing or enclosure634. a seal or gasket 635, a membrane or diaphragm 636, and anintegrated acoustic and support component 632 that can be involved indriving the diaphragm 636 to produce acoustic signals or sounds, as wellas providing stiffness and structural support to the speaker module 626.The speaker module 626 can further include one or more other operationalcomponents or sensors, for example that may have a reason to communicatewith the ambient environment. In some examples, the speaker module 626can also include a pressure sensor module 640. In some examples, thegasket 635 can contact one or more surfaces of the housing 602 to definea seal between the ambient environment and the internal volume definedby the housing 602.

FIG. 4C shows a cross-sectional view of the speaker module 626 takenalong the line shown in FIG. 4B. As seen, the speaker module 626 caninclude an enclosure 634 that can include attachment features foraffixing the speaker module 626 to the housing 602, and that can furtherseal against the housing 602 to provide a barrier to the ingress orliquid or contaminants into the internal volume of the housing 602. Thespeaker module 626 also includes an integrated acoustic and supportcomponent 632. This component can include a support member 642 that canprovide structural support to the speaker module 626 to substantiallyprevent flexure or deformation of the module 626 under applied loads.The support member 642 can include a metallic material, such as steel.In some examples, the support member 642 can include a stainless steelalloy, such as 316 stainless steel or 17-4 stainless steel.

In some examples, the support member 642 can be formed by anycombination of additive and/or subtractive manufacturing processes. Forexample, the support member 642 can be a metal injection molded (MIM)part. In some examples, the support member can also be subjected to oneor more processes to achieve a desired level of flatness. For example, aMIM support member 642 can be restruck in a stamping process to achievea desired level of flatness. In some examples, the support member 642can have a flatness of less than about 0.05, less than about 0.04, oreven less than about 0.03 or smaller. Further, the speaker module 626can have a width Wi that is less than about 4 mm, less than about 3.5mm, less than about 3.2 mm, or less than about 3.1 mm or smaller. Asused herein, the term flatness can refer to the separation distancebetween two imaginary parallel planes that bound the uppermost andlowermost points of the surface being measured.

The acoustic and support component 632 can further include one or moremagnets, such as magnets 644, 646, and 648 that are affixed or bondeddirectly to the support member 642. In some examples, the magnets 644,646, 648 can be bonded to the support member 642 by any desired method,such as welding, brazing, an adhesive, or combinations thereof. Themagnets 644, 646, 648 can be used to drive the diaphragm 636 to produceacoustic signals or sounds. The magnets 644, 646, 648 can include anydesired magnetic material and can be permanent, semi-permanent, orelectromagnets, as desired. The acoustic and support component 632 canfurther include a ring or a plate 645 that can also be bonded or affixedto the magnets 644, 646, 648, for example, in the same or a similarmanner as the support member 642. The ring 645 can include any desiredmaterial, such as polymeric and/or metallic materials, including steel.The ring 645 can then be affixed to the enclosure 634, as desired.Accordingly, in some examples, the integrated acoustic and supportcomponent 632 can provide sufficient stiffness and robustness to thespeaker module 626 to provide water resistance for the device 600 to adepth of at least about 25 m, at least about 50 m, or at least about 75m or more.

FIG. 4D shows a rear view of the speaker module 626 including anintegrated acoustic and support component 632. An operational component,such as a pressure sensor 640 (obscured by the acoustic and supportcomponent 632 in this view) can be mounted to the acoustic and supportcomponent 632. Both the pressure sensor 640 and components of thespeaker module 626, such as the magnets and/or driving components can bein electrical communication with other components of the device 600,such as one or more processors, through an integrated flexible connector650. That is, a single flexible connector 650 can include a firstportion 652 in communication with speaker components, and a secondportion 654 in communication with the sensor 640. These portions can beconnected to a single connection point 656 that can be in communicationwith other components in the device 600.

FIG. 4E shows a rear view of the speaker module 626 including theintegrated flexible connector 650 folded around the acoustic andstructural component 632 in a configuration as would be desired when thespeaker module is assembled into the device 600. As can be seen, theflexible connector 650, or portions thereof, can lay substantially flatagainst the acoustic and structural component 632 to save space and toprovide the connection point 656 in a desired orientation and locationfor connection to other components of the device 600. Further details ofadditional audio components are provided with respect to FIGS. 5A-C.

FIG. 5A shows an exploded view of a portion of an electronic device 700that can be substantially similar to and can include some or all of thefeatures of the device described herein. The device 700 can include ahousing 702 that can at least partially define an exterior surface andan internal volume of the device 700. The housing 702 can also defineone or more apertures 704 that can be in communication with a portion ofthe internal volume and the ambient environment.

As shown, one or more components or modules can be disposed at theaperture 704, such as a microphone module 746, that can be incommunication with the ambient environment, and that can also act as aseal or barrier between the ambient environment and the internal volume.

FIG. 5B shows a cross-sectional view of the electronic device 700including the housing 702 and the microphone module 746 sealed to thehousing 702 inside a recess or a cavity. In some examples, by designingthe microphone module 746 and housing 702 such that a relatively largevolume of the microphone module 746 is disposed within the cavitydefined by a wall of the housing, additional space in the internalvolume defined by the housing 702 can be freed up for use by othercomponents or for a reduction in device 700 size. Further, it can bedesirable to provide a microphone module 746 that is as thin as possiblefor these same reasons.

In some examples, the microphone module includes an enclosure 750 thatcan include any desired material, such as polymeric materials orplastics. The enclosure can retain the other components of themicrophone module 746 which can be affixed thereto. In some examples, aseal 754 can be affixed, bonded, or otherwise secured to the enclosure750. The seal 754 can include a compliant material, such as a polymericmaterial like rubber or plastic. In some examples, the seal 754 caninclude silicone or silicone rubber. In some examples, the seal 754 canbe overmolded onto the enclosure 750 and can directly contact theenclosure and the housing 702 to provide a seal or barrier between theambient environment and the internal volume of the device 700.

The microphone module 746 can further include a grill 752 that can bepositioned at or near the aperture 704. The grill 752 can be secured tothe enclosure 750 and can act as a physical barrier to prevent objects,such as dust or rocks, from entering the aperture 704 and damaging themicrophone module 746. The grill 752 can be permeable to air or liquid,and acoustic signals can pass therethrough to the membrane or diaphragm758. The diaphragm can be coupled to one or more electronic components756 that can convert the movement of the diaphragm in response toacoustic signals into electrical signals that can be communicated toother components of the device 700 through an electrical connector 760.

FIG. 5C shows an exploded view of portions of the microphone module 746,including the seal 754, the enclosure 750 that defines an aperture, theair or liquid permeable grill 752 that can be affixed to the enclosure750 at or over the aperture, and the diaphragm 758 that can be affixedor secured to the enclosure 750 by an adhesive 757, such as a pressuresensitive adhesive.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurationsdescribed herein can be included in an electronic device, as describedherein. The components can include any combination of the featuresdescribed herein and can be arranged in any of the variousconfigurations described herein. The structure and arrangement ofcomponents of a device, as well as the concepts regarding its use canapply not only to the specific examples discussed herein, but to anynumber of embodiments in any combination. Various examples of electronicdevices and electronic device input components including those havingvarious features in various arrangements are described below, withreference to FIGS. 6A-6D.

FIG. 6A shows a top cross-sectional view of an electronic device 800that can be substantially similar to, and can include some or all of thefeatures of the electronic devices described herein. In some examples, ahousing 802 can define an internal volume with components containedtherein. Several components have been omitted for simplicity, but thehousing 802 can contain a battery 822, as well as various inputcomponents, such as a crown 844, and a button 848. It can be desirablefor these modules to be as small and as thin as possible, while stillproviding a desired level of functionality, in order to allow room forother components, such as the battery 822 to occupy the internal volumeor to reduce the size of the internal volume, and thus the overall sizeof the device 800.

FIG. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the device 800including the battery 822 and the button module 848. As described withrespect to the battery 422, the battery 822 can include a top portionthat overhangs and extends past a sidewall to define a flange or shelf823 that can allow for additional battery capacity. The button module848 can include a bracket 856 that can secure the button module 848 tothe housing (not shown). An input portion 852 of the button module 848can define an exterior surface of the module 848 and can protrude atleast partially through an aperture defined by the housing to partiallydefine an exterior surface of the device 800. The input portion 852 canbe coupled to the bracket 856 through a mechanism 854 that can allow thebutton 848 to be actuated by a user, for example, by depressing theinput portion 852 with an extremity.

In some examples, the bracket 856 can define a groove 857 that can bepositioned in line with the flange 823 of the battery 822. Further, aflexible electrical connector 860 that can provide electricalcommunication between other components of the device 800, such as adisplay and a processor, can be routed to pass over the bracket 856. Insome examples, the flexible connector 860 can be secured to the bracket856, for example, by an adhesive 858, such as a pressure sensitiveadhesive, to maintain a desired position of the flexible connector 860.The retention of the flexible connector 860 in this desired location canboost or assist with the performance and/or tuning of one or moreantennas of the device 800.

Additionally, during a drop event or the exertion of a high force on thedevice 800, the battery 822 can shift or move slightly relative to thehousing 802 and the bracket 856. The groove 857 is positioned and sizedsuch that any such shift of the battery 822 will cause the flange 823 tomerely deflect the flexible connector 860 into the groove 857, ratherthan compressing the flexible connector 860 between the flange 823 andthe bracket 856, potentially causing damage. As such, the architectureof the bracket 856 and battery 822 can provide for increased reliabilityin the device 800.

FIG. 6C shows a top cross-sectional view of the button module 848,including the input portion 852 coupled to the mechanism 854 and thebracket 856. As shown, the bracket can define one or more retentionfeatures that can receive and retain one or more retention components,such as screws 872, 874. FIG. 6D shows a rear view of the bracket 856,including the retention features, here apertures 862, 864, that aresized and shaped to receive the retention components 872, 874,respectively, to retain the input portion 852 and mechanism 854 on thebracket 856.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurationsdescribed herein can be included in an electronic device, as describedherein. The components can include any combination of the featuresdescribed herein and can be arranged in any of the variousconfigurations described herein. The structure and arrangement ofcomponents of a device, as well as the concepts regarding the use andfunctionality thereof can apply not only to the specific examplesdiscussed herein, but to any number of embodiments in any combination.Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device antenna anddisplay components including having various features in variousarrangements are described below, with reference to FIGS. 7A-9 .

FIG. 7A shows a partially unassembled view of an electronic device 900that can be substantially similar to, and can include some or all of thefeatures of, the electronic devices described herein, such as devices200, 300. The device 900 is shown in the same orientation as the device200 as illustrated in FIG. 1C, with the display assembly 910 partiallyremoved from the housing 902. Several components of the device 900 arenot shown for simplicity, but the device 900 can include a main logicboard 940 including one or more processors and memory, a haptic module924, and flexible electrical connectors 950 that can provide electricalcoupling, and transmit power and/or signals, between the logic board 940and the display assembly 910. The device 900 can also include aconductive component 960 that can electrically couple the displayassembly 910 to other portions or components of the device, for exampleto provide electrical grounding.

Additionally, as can be seen in FIG. 7A, in some example the flexibleelectrical connectors 950 and the conductive component 960 can bepositioned such that they extend from a same side or region of thedisplay assembly 910. In some examples, the flexible electricalconnectors 950 and the conductive component 960 can thus also extendfrom the display assembly 910 into the portion of the internal volumedefined by the housing 902 along a same side or region of the housing902, whereupon the flexible electrical connectors 950 and the conductivecomponent 960 can be coupled to one or more other components as desired.Accordingly, in some examples, all or substantially all of theelectrical connectors, such as components 950, 960, extending betweenthe display assembly 910 and any other components disposed in theportion of internal volume of the device 900 defined by the housing 902can be positioned along a same side of the housing 902 and displayassembly 910. That is, where the device 900 comprises a housing 902having multiple sidewalls, the flexible electrical connectors 950 andthe conductive component 960 can be disposed adjacent to only a singlesidewall.

In some examples, this configuration, where the electrical connectionsbetween the display assembly 910 and the other components of the device900 are aligned along a single side, can allow for the device 900 toinclude antennas having higher bandwidths than might be efficientlyachieved using other connector configurations. In some examples, theability to efficiently radiate and receive signals at high bandwidthscan be at least partially due to the ability to radiate and/or receivesignals from all or substantially all of the other sides or regions ofthe housing 902 that are not adjacent to the flexible electricalconnectors 950 and the conductive component 960. In some examples, thisconfiguration of the flexible electrical connectors 950 and theconductive component 960 can enable the device 900 to include one ormore antennas that operate at frequencies up to about 2000 MHz, up toabout 2700 MHz, up to about 3000 MHz, up to about 5000 MHz, up to about7500 MHz, up to about 8000 MHz, up to about 8.25 MHz, or up to about8500 MHz or even higher.

FIG. 7B shows a top view of a portion of the electronic device 900. Thedevice 900 is shown at a stage of the assembly process, whereby thedisplay assembly 910 has yet to be attached to the flexible electricalconnector 950. At this stage, the flexible electrical connector 950 canbe coupled or attached to components of the device 900, but can includea releasable liner 951 that can serve to protect one or more regionscomprising conductive and/or adhesive material that are disposed on theflexible electrical connector 950 as will be described with respect toFIG. 7C. In some examples, this releasable liner 951 can comprise apolymer material. In some examples, the releasable liner 951 cancomprise a single or continuous portion of material that can be used toprotect both portions of the connector 950 as described herein.

As can be seen, the flexible electrical connector 950 can include afirst end that connects to the logic board 940, for example, at aconnection point, and a second end that can pass through one or moreapertures defined by the housing 902, whereupon additional connectionpoints can be connected to the display assembly (not shown). In someexamples, the flexible electrical connector can act as a radiatingelement of an antenna, and can be driven by one or more componentsdisposed on the logic board 940 and/or the display assembly 910. In someexamples, the flexible electrical connector 950 can act as a radiatingelement to radiate signals in the direction of the display assembly.Further, the flexible electrical connector 950 can be substantiallyL-shaped, or bent, and can include two portions that can be connected atthe second end, but separate at the first end of the flexible electricalconnector 950.

FIG. 7C shows a similar top view of a portion of the device 900 as FIG.9B, including the flexible electrical connector 950 with the second endfolded or bent upwards as it would be in an assembled configuration. Ascan be seen, the flexible electrical connector 950 can include a firstportion 952 and a second portion 954 that can be separate, or that canbe connected at one end, such as the second end (e.g., end portion 975shown in FIG. 7A). In some examples, one portion 952 can act as anelectrical connector between a touch sensitive layer of the displayassembly 910 and the logic board 940, while a second portion 954 can actas an electrical connector between a display layer of the displayassembly 910 and the logic board 940, and/or vice versa.

In some examples, the size, width, and/or number of portions of theflexible electrical connector 950 can be reduced by locating as manycomponents as possible on the logic board 940, for example in a SiPdisposed thereon. In some examples, one or more antennas, such as anear-field communication (NFC) antenna can be located on the logic board940, and thus may not require a flexible electrical connector to be inelectrical communication with a processor on the logic board 940.

In some examples, the flexible electrical connector 950 can beelectrically grounded to the display assembly (not shown), which canoverlie the flexible electrical connector 950 in the orientation shownin FIG. 7C. For example, each portion 952, 954, can have sections ofconductive material 956, 958 disposed thereon to provide an electricalground path between each portion 952, 954 of the flexible electricalconnector 950 and the display assembly 910. In some examples, thesections of conductive material 956, 958 can include a conductiveadhesive, and/or an adhesive including conductive material. For example,the conductive material 956, 958 can include a conductive pressuresensitive adhesive. In some examples, conductive tapes or otherconductive materials can be used. In some examples, the conductivematerial 956, 958 can have a width of about 25 microns or greater, about50 microns or greater, about 100 microns, or greater, or more. In someexamples, the conductive material 956, 958 can span an entire width ofeach portion 952, 954 of the flexible electrical connector 950. In someexamples, the conductive material 956, 958 can have a thickness, orheight above the flexible electrical connector 950 of about 50 micronsor less, about 75 microns or less, about 100 microns or less, about 125microns or less, about 150 microns or less, about 200 microns or less,or about 500 microns or less. Although four portions of conductivematerial 956, 958 are shown, in some examples, any number of portionscan be used.

In some examples where the conductive material 956, 958 includes anadhesive, the conductive material 956, 958 can serve to maintain aposition of the flexible connector 950 against the display assembly 910in a desired portion. In some cases where the display assembly 910 caninclude an antenna, as described herein, the retention of the flexibleelectrical connector 950 in a desired position against the displayassembly can result in reliable and improved antenna performance.Additionally, the electrical grounding provided by the conductivematerial 956, 958 can allow the return of a driving signal from anantenna in communication with the flexible electrical connector 950 tothe ground after passing through the flexible electrical connector 950.Further detail regarding a display assembly including one or moreantennas is provided below with reference to FIGS. 8A-8D.

FIG. 8A shows a bottom perspective view a display assembly 1010 that canbe substantially similar to, and can include some or all of the featuresof the display assemblies described herein. The display assembly 1010shown in FIG. 8A is disposed upside down relative to the displayassembly 310 shown in, for example, FIG. 2A. The display assembly 1010can include a transparent cover 1014, and a display stack 1012 that caninclude multiple layers and components, each of which can perform one ormore desired functions. For example, the display stack 1012 can includea display layer that can include a touch detection layer (e.g., touchdetection layer 965 shown in FIG. 7A) or component, a force sensitivelayer or component, and one or more display layers or components thatcan include one or more pixels and/or light emitting portions to displayvisual content and/or information to a user. In some examples, thedisplay layer can include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a lightemitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED)display, and/or any other form of display.

The display assembly can also include a grounding plane 1060 that can bedisposed below the display stack 1012, or in the position shown in FIG.8A, above the display stack 1012. The display assembly 1010 can alsoinclude further components that are not shown for simplicity. Thegrounding plane 1060 can be a sheet or plane of conductive material,such as one or more metallic materials, that can extend oversubstantially all of an area of the display assembly 1010. In someexamples, the grounding plane 1060 can include metallic materials suchas copper, silver, and/or gold. In some examples, the grounding plane1060 can include copper and gold. For example, a copper surface that iscoated with gold by any desired deposition or coating process. In someexamples, the grounding plane 1060 can be disposed on and/or supportedby a surface of a printed circuit board or other substantially planarsurface of the display assembly 1010. In some examples, the groundingplane 1060 can be a layer of a printed circuit board of the displayassembly.

In some examples, in addition to providing electrical grounding forcomponents of the display assembly 1010, as well as other components ofan electronic device including the display assembly 1010, the groundingplane 1060 can act or serve as a radiating element or body for one ormore antennas in communication with the grounding plane 1060. Forexample, one or more LTE, Wi-Fi, ultra-wideband (UWB), and/or otherantennas. By utilizing the grounding plane 1060, which is asubstantially solid sheet or plane of conductive material that extendsacross all or substantially all of the area of the display assembly1010, the display assembly 1010 can be treated as a relatively “solidblock” of conductive material for the purposes of tuning the one or moreantennas, thereby reducing the complexity of tuning procedures andincreasing antenna performance and/or reliability. The display assembly1010 can include one or more spring fingers 1062, 1064 that can be inelectrical communication with the grounding plane 1060 and that can beelectrically connector to other components in a device including thedisplay assembly 1010 to provide an electrical path to the groundingplane 1060 as described further herein.

The display assembly can also include one or more electrical connectionpoints 1066, 1068 that can be in communication with components of thedisplay assembly 1010, such as the display stack 1012, and that canreceive connection points of flexible electrical connectors, such as theflexible electrical connector 950 described with respect to FIGS. 7A-7C.The display assembly 1010 can also include one or more of its ownflexible electrical connectors 1070, that provide electricalcommunication between one or more components of the display assembly1010. In some examples a flexible electrical connector 1070 can includea ferrite material and can include an integrated antenna therein. Insome examples, the integrated antenna can include an NFC coil, althoughsubstantially any type of antenna can be included. Both the ferritematerial and the coil can be coated or covered with an insulatingpolymer material, such as a polyimide or pressure sensitive adhesivematerial. In some examples, the flexible electrical connector 1070including a ferrite material and NFC coil can have a thickness of lessthan about 300 microns, less than about 250 microns, less than about 225microns, or even thinner.

Thus, a separate NFC coil or component is not necessary and the amountof space taken up by the display assembly 1010 can be reduced. In someexamples, the NFC coil in the flexible electrical connector 1070 isdriven as a radiating element by one or more components in communicationtherewith.

Additional conductive components can also be provided to assist withgrounding the components of the display assembly 1010 and other systemcomponents of a device including the display assembly 1010. For example,a conductive material, such as a conductive tape 1072, can be providedover one or more components (not shown) and can be electricallyconnected to the grounding plane. Additional tapes or conductivecomponents can be provided to cover most or substantially all of thesurface of the display assembly shown in FIG. 8A. In some examples, theuse of one or more conductive tapes 1072 to electrically connectcomponents to the grounding plane 1060 can improve antenna performanceby at least about 0.2 dB, at least about 0.3 dB, at least about 0.4 dB,at least about 0.5 dB, or at least about 1 dB or more across allradiating frequencies, as compared to a display assembly 1010 that doesnot include tape 1072.

FIG. 8B shows a bottom perspective view the display assembly 1010 asshown in FIG. 8A, with several components omitted for simplicity. As canbe seen, spring fingers 1062, 1064 can be located on the grounding plane1060 and can be in electrical communication therewith. Further, becausethe grounding plane 1060 is a substantially continuous sheet or planethat extends across a large portion of the area of the display assembly,the spring fingers 1062, 1064 can be disposed at substantially anydesired location on the grounding plane 1060. Accordingly, thearrangement of other components of the display assembly 1010 can bedesigned according to other goals, such as desired levels of antennaperformance and/or space reduction, and the spring fingers 1062, 1064can be positioned to accommodate the positions of those components. Thatis, the spring fingers 1062, 1064 can be positioned independent of theother components of the display assembly 1010.

FIG. 8C shows a close up view of the spring finger 1064 disposed near acontact portion 1080 of the grounding plane 1060. In some examples, thespring finger 1064 can include any form of conductive material, such asone or more metals. As shown, the spring finger 1064 can include areceiving portion 1074 that can receive a connector or a portion ofanother electrical component to provide an electrical connectiontherewith. The spring finger 1064 can also include a connection portion1072 that can be disposed in contact with the contact portion 1080. Theconnection portion 1072 can define one or more apertures 1076. Duringassembly, solder or another conductive material can be placed orotherwise located over or in the apertures 1076 to electrically connectthe spring finger 1064 to the grounding plane 1060 and to mechanicallysecure it thereto.

In some examples, the spring finger 1064 can be soldered to thegrounding plane 1060 by a jet or nozzle based soldering process, wherebyballs or portions of solder material can be shot or dropped towards theaperture 1076 from a nozzle. The solder can be melted by a laser afterit is emitted from the nozzle, whereupon it can achieve a molten orsemi-molten state and can impact the aperture 1076. The solder can thencool to provide a strong and reliable electrical connection withoutsubjecting other components of the display assembly 1010 to excesslevels of heat. FIG. 8D shows a top view of the same portion of thedisplay assembly 1010 shown in FIG. 8C with the spring finger 1064omitted. As can be seen, the contact portion or pad 1080 of thegrounding plane 1060 can be sized and shaped to correspond to theapertures 1076 of the spring finger 1064. Further details regarding thegrounding of components in electronic devices are described with respectto FIG. 9 .

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a grounding component 1100 of anelectronic device, such as any of the electronic devices describedherein. The grounding component 1100 can be used to connect any numberof components of an electronic device to one another and/or to a ground,such as the grounding plane 1060 described with respect to FIGS. 8A-8D.In some examples, the grounding component 1100 can be used instead of,or in addition to, the spring fingers 1062, 1064 described with respectto FIGS. 8A-8D.

In some examples, the grounding component 1100 can include a firstcontact portion 1108 that can define an aperture 1110. As with theapertures 1076 defined by the spring finger 1064, solder can be placedor deposited on or in the aperture 1110 to electrically and mechanicallyconnect the grounding component 1100 to another component, such as thegrounding plane 1060. The grounding component 1100 can further include abody 1106 connected to the first contact portion 1108, and a secondcontact portion 1102 that can extend from the body 1106 to electricallyand/or physically connect with one or more components of a deviceincluding the grounding component 1100. Although the second groundingportion 1102 is shown having a particular geometry, it can havesubstantially any desired shape and the shape and size of the secondcontact portion 1102 can be selected based on the location of thegrounding component 1100 and any components with which a connection tothe second contact portion 1102 is desired.

The body 1106 can be a polymeric material and can be insert moldedaround the contact portion 1102, 1108. The body can also carry a tuningcomponent 1104 that can be electrically connected to the contactportions 1102, 1108. In some examples, the contact portions 1102, 1108can be electrically isolated from one another except for theirconnection to the tuning component 1104. In some examples, the tuningcomponent 1104 can include an electrical component having a desiredresistance, inductance, and/or capacitance. Thus, in some examples, thetuning component 1104 can include an inductor and/or capacitor. In someexamples, the tuning component 1104 can be an inductor having aninductance of between about 1 and about 10 nanohenries (nH), althoughthe tuning component 1104 can have substantially any inductance asdesired. Further, in some examples, one or more of the resistance,inductance, or capacitance of the tuning component 1104 can beselectively tuned or adjusted, as desired, after assembly or partialassembly of a device including the grounding component 1100.

In some examples where the grounding component 1100 is electricallyconnected to an antenna, the electrical properties of the tuningcomponent 1104, such as the resistance, inductance, and/or capacitance,can be selected to tune or shift the resonant frequency of the antennaor an electrical circuit including the antenna, as desired. This tuningor shifting can have the effect of making the antenna appear “shorter”or “longer,” thus effectively making it appear as though the antenna isgrounded at different locations from the point of view of the antenna.In this way, the grounding location of an antenna can be chosen based ondesign considerations other than the path length to ground, such as theposition of other components, and the grounding component 1100 can thenbe tuned to provide an effective grounding “location” that achievesoptical antenna performance, as desired.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurationsdescribed herein can be included in an electronic device as describedherein. The components can include any combination of the featuresdescribed herein and can be arranged in any of the variousconfigurations described herein. The structure and arrangement ofcomponents of a device, as well as the concepts regarding their use andoperation can apply not only to the specific examples discussed herein,but to any number of embodiments in any combination. Various examples ofelectronic devices and electronic device sealing and cover componentsincluding those having various features in various arrangements aredescribed below, with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B.

FIG. 10A shows an exploded view of several components of an electronicdevice that can be substantially similar to and can include some or allof the features of the electronic devices described herein. As describedwith respect to the electronic device 300 of FIG. 2A, an electronicdevice can include a housing 1202 that can at least partially define aninternal volume and a display assembly 1210 that can be retained by thehousing. The display assembly 1210 can be received by and can beattached to the housing 202, for example, at a feature defined by thehousing 1202, such as a ledge, lip, or flange 1203. The display assemblycan include a cover 1214 including a transparent material, such asplastic, glass, and/or ceramic. The display assembly 1210 can include adisplay stack 1212 that can include multiple layers and components, eachof which can perform one or more desired functions. In some examples, agasket or a seal 1216 can be disposed between the display assembly 1210and the housing 1202, for example at the ledge 1203, to substantiallydefine a barrier to the ingress of liquids or moisture into the internalvolume from the external environment at the location of the seal 1216.

FIG. 10B shows a cross-sectional view of the housing 1202, with thetransparent cover 1214 and seal 1216 attached to the housing in anassembled configuration. As can be seen, the seal 1216 can be in contactwith the transparent cover 1214 and the housing 1202, and can fix orsecure these two components together. In some examples, the seal 1216can include multiple layers of material. As described herein, the seal1216 can include polymer, metal, and/or ceramic materials. In someexamples, the seal 1216 can substantially surround a periphery of anaperture defined by the housing 1202, and can have a shape correspondingto a peripheral shape of one or more portions of the display assembly1210.

In some examples, the width of the seal 1216 and/or the width of theadhesive bond of between the seal 1216 and the housing 1202 and/or cover1214 can be important for increasing the chemical resistance of the seal1216 and preventing corrosion of the seal 1216 and/or ingress of liquidor contaminants into the internal volume therethrough. As shown, thehousing 1202 and the cover 1214 can define a gap 1205 therebetween. Insome examples, this gap can provide for a certain amount of sway ormovement of the cover 1214 relative to the housing 1202, such as duringhigh force events or drop events. This sway and/or compression of theseal 1216 can reduce the risk forces being transmitted directly throughthe housing 1202 to the cover 1214, thereby reducing the risk of damageto the cover 1214. In some examples, the seal 1216 can include arelatively low modulus, such as less than about 20 MPa, less than about15 MPa, less than about 10 MPa, less than about 5 MPa, or even less thanabout 1 MPa, so as to not transmit load to the cover 1214. In thismanner, the seal 1216 can act as a shock absorber for the cover 1214relative to the housing 1202. In some examples, the seal 1216 can becompliant enough that the cover 1214 can move laterally and/orvertically with respect to the housing 1202. In some examples, thisamount of movement can be desirable even though the device may notcontain a force sensor or other component that may need to rely onmovement of the cover 1214 relative to the housing 1202 to function.

In some examples, liquids, particles, contaminants, and/or corrosivematerials can inadvertently enter the gap 1205, however, and come incontact with the seal 1216. Thus, it can be desirable for the seal 1216to be corrosion resistant and for the bond length between the seal 1216and the housing 1202 and cover 1214 to be relatively large.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurationsdescribed herein can be included in an electronic device, as describedherein. The components can include any combination of the featuresdescribed herein and can be arranged in any of the variousconfigurations described herein. The structure and arrangement ofcomponents of a device, as well as the concepts regarding its functionand operation can apply not only to the specific examples discussedherein, but to any number of embodiments in any combination. Variousexamples of electronic devices and electronic device input componentsincluding those having various features in various arrangements aredescribed below, with reference to FIGS. 11A-11C.

FIG. 11A shows an exploded view of several components of an electronicdevice that can be substantially similar to, and can include, some orall of the features of the electronic devices described herein. Asdescribed with respect to the electronic device 300 of FIG. 2A, anelectronic device can include a housing 1302 that can at least partiallydefine an internal volume and a crown or dial 1346 that can bepositioned at and at, least partially extend through, an aperture 1306defined by the housing 1302. The crown module 1346 can be connected to aflexible electrical connector 1347 that can be in communication with oneor more other components of the device (not shown).

FIG. 11B shows a partial cross-section view of the crown module 1346affixed to the housing 1302 in an assembled configuration. In someexamples, a sleeve or a liner 1354 can be disposed adjacent to thehousing 1302 and can be secured and/or sealed thereto. The sleeve 1354can act to help seal the internal volume of the housing 1302. In someexamples, the sleeve 1354 can be an insulating material and can insulatesome or all of the crown module 1346 from the housing 1302.

The crown module 1346 can include a dial or a button 1350 that cangenerally be a flange shaped member that can have a cylindrical body anda rounded or flat top. The button 1350 includes an outer surface that isconfigured to receive a user input and a stem that extends from aninterior surface of the button 1350. The button 1350 can also include aring component 1352 that can at least partially define an exteriorsurface of the button 1350 and that can include an electricallyinsulating material, for example, to electrically insulate two or moreportions of the button 1350. In some examples, one or more sealingmembers 1356, such as an O-ring, a cup seal, or a membrane, can bereceived around the shaft of the button 1350 to seal against the sleeve1354.

The crown module 1346 can also include an electrically conductivegrounding component 1358 that can be in electrical communication withone or more portions of the crown module and that can provide electricalgrounding thereto. In some examples, the grounding component 1358 caninclude a metal or metals and can be formed by a metal injection molding(MIM) process in a desired shape. The grounding component 1358 canfurther be in electrical communication with a conductive component 1368that can be electrically connected to other components of an electronicdevice containing the crown module 1346. By using a metallic part toprovide grounding, rather than a separate electrical connector, theoverall size of the crown module 1346 can be reduced by eliminating theneed for a connection point and/or solder for the electrical connector.The crown module 1346 can include one or more bushings, such as aninsert molded bushing 1360. This bushing 1360 can include any materialas desired. Further, because it is insert molded, it can be shaped andsize as desired, for example, to reduce the overall size of the crownmodule 1346.

A tactile switch mechanism 1364 can be disposed in contact with the stemof the button 1350 and can be secured to a support structure or bracket1370. The tactile switch mechanism 1364 can be depressed when a userpresses on the button 1350 and can transmit one or more signals upon theoccurrence of such an event. The bracket 1370 can further support one ormore operational components of the crown module 1346, such as one ormore electrical and/or electronic components. In some examples, anovermold material 1362 can be provided around these components in a SiPconfiguration in order to reduce the overall size of the crown module,as described herein. A shear plate can also be attached to the bracketto prevent shearing forces from being transmitted to the tactile switchmechanism 1364 or other components. In some examples, the shear platecan be laser welded to the bracket 1370 or to one or more othercomponents of the crown module 1346. The crown module 1346 can alsoinclude one or more sensors 1366, such as one or more rotation sensors,to detect a rotational input on the button 1350.

FIG. 11C shows a rear view of the crown module 1346 disposed in anassembled configuration in the housing 1302. As can be seen,substantially all of the components of the crown module 1346 can bedisposed within a volume at least partially defined by the bracket 1370.This configuration can allow for the positioning of other components ofa device including the crown module 1346 substantially near or adjacentto the crown module 1346, thereby further increasing available spacewithin the internal volume defined by the housing 1302. In someexamples, one or more operational components that are overmolded with apolymer material to form a SiP 1372 as described herein can be disposedon, carried by, and/or positioned within a volume at least partiallydefined by the bracket 1370. Overmolding the one or more components toform the SiP 1372 can reduce potential interference with other systemsof the device by the operational components of the SiP 1372, furtherenabling other components to be positioned adjacent to, or substantiallynear to crown module 1346.

Any number or variety of components in any of the configurationsdescribed herein can be included in an electronic device, as describedherein. The components can include any combination of the featuresdescribed herein and can be arranged in any of the variousconfigurations described herein. The structure and arrangement ofcomponents of a device, as well as the concepts regarding the functionand operation thereof can apply not only to the specific examplesdiscussed herein, but to any number of embodiments in any combination.Various examples of electronic devices and electronic device componentsincluding having various features in various arrangements are describedbelow, with reference to FIGS. 12A-13D.

FIG. 12A shows an exploded view of several components of an electronicdevice that can be substantially similar to and can include some or allof the features of the electronic devices described herein. As describedwith respect to the electronic device 300 of FIG. 2A, an electronicdevice can include a housing 1402 that can at least partially define aninternal volume, a main logic board 1440 disposed in the internalvolume, and a back cover 1430 that can be affixed to the housing 1402.

In some examples, the back cover 1430 can carry a number of componentsthereon, such as a second logic board 1450, an e-shield 1460, and anantenna element 1454. In some examples, a seal 1434 can be disposedbetween the back cover 1430 and the housing 1402 to provide or define abarrier between the internal volume and the ambient environment, asdescribed herein. In some examples, as shown, a shape of the seal 1434can correspond to a shape of the logic board 1440 and/or antenna element1454. This design can allow for an increased area of the logic board1440 to provide room for additional components, as well as for anincreased area or size of the antenna element 1454.

FIG. 12B shows a top view of the back cover 1430 carrying the componentsdescribed with respect to FIG. 12A. The back cover 1430 can carryadditional components that have been omitted for simplicity. In someexamples, the antenna element 1454 can be a radiating element of one ormore antennas of an electronic device, such as any of the antennasdescribed herein. In some examples, the antenna element 1454 can besized and shaped to correspond to any available volume in the devicethat is not occupied by other components. In some examples, the antennaelement 1454 can include a conductive material, such as one or moremetals, as well as non-conductive materials, such as one or morepolymers. The antenna element 1454 can be electrically connected toother components of the device, such as the logic board 1440, to providea signal and/or power to drive the antenna. In some examples, theantenna element 1454 can be formed by a laser direct structure (LDS)process and can thus include a polymer, such as a thermoplasticmaterial, having a metallic or metal-containing design or track formedtherein.

In some examples, the e-shield component 1460 can be sized and shaped tocorrespond to a size and shape of one or more components of the deviceor back cover 1430, such as the logic board 1450. In some examples, thee-shield can include one or more metals and can provide shielding fromelectromagnetic radiation to one or more components of the device. Insome examples, however, the e-shield 1460 can be electrically connectedto an antenna to additionally act as a radiating element for theantenna. In some examples, the e-shield 1460 can provide an auxiliaryshort point for the antenna and/or can be used to increase the length ofthe radiating element of the antenna. Further, in some examples, some orall of the e-shield 1460 can be disposed below the radiating element1454 and can be capacitively coupled therewith to enhance antennaperformance.

FIG. 12C shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the back cover1430 joined to the housing 1402 in an assembled configuration, with aseal 1434 disposed therebetween. As described herein, the back cover1430 can also include an electromagnetically transparent component 1432.The seal 1434 can include multiple layers of material, such as silicone,polyimide, and/or pressure sensitive adhesive. In some examples, theseal 1434 can have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional area, andcan be substantially similar to, and can include some or all of thefeatures of the seals described herein. In some examples, the seal 1434may not extend past an edge of the housing 1402 and/or back cover 1430.Further, the mating surfaces of the housing 1402 and/or the back cover1430 can be substantially flat to provide a large adherence area withthe seal 1434. In some examples, the back cover 1430 can directly abutthe housing 1402, for example, to act as a datum.

FIG. 12D shows the same cross-sectional view as in FIG. 12C, includingan alternative configuration of the surface of the back cover 1430 thatmates with the housing 1402 and seal 1434. In this example, the seal1434 can have a substantially rounded or circular cross-sectional area.The mating surface of the back cover 1430 can be sloped or have aslanted region that can exert a pressure on the seal 1434 in a directionagainst the housing 1402.

FIG. 12E shows a cross-sectional view of a seal 1516, that can besubstantially similar to, include some or all of the features of, and beused in place of other seals described herein, such as seal 1216 and/orseal 1434 shown in FIG. 12C. In some examples, the seal 1516 can includemultiple layers of material bonded or joined together in a stackedconfiguration. In some examples, the seal 1516 can include a compliantlayer 1520. In some examples, the compliant layer 1520 can include apolymer, such as an elastomer. In some examples, the compliant layer1520 can include silicone and/or silicone rubber, such as a siliconelayer or silicone rubber layer. The compliant layer 1520 can be themiddle layer or core of the seal 1516 and can have a thickness ofbetween about 50 microns and about 500 microns, or between about 100microns and about 300 microns, for example about 150 microns. In someexamples, the compliant layer 1520 can be substantially transparent. Thecompliant layer 1520 can have a hardness of greater than about 5,greater than about 10, or greater than about 15 or more on the Shore Ahardness scale.

In some examples, polymer layers 1523 and 1525 can be disposed on thetop and bottom surfaces of the compliant layer 1520. These polymerlayers 1523, 1525 can be the same or different materials, and in someexamples, can include polyimide. In some examples, the polymer layers1523, 1525 can be transparent or translucent. In some examples, thepolymer layers 1523, 1525 can be a colored translucent material, such asa translucent amber colored material. In some examples, the polymerlayers 1523, 1525 can be the same or different thicknesses. The polymerlayers 1523, 1525 can have thicknesses between about 25 microns andabout 150 microns, or between about 50 microns and about 100 microns,for example about 75 microns.

In order to secure the back cover 1430 to the housing 1402, as shown inFIG. 12C, in some examples, the top and bottom exterior surfaces of theseal can be defined by adhesive layers 1522, 1524. These adhesive layerscan be the same or different material and can have the same or differentthicknesses. In some examples, the adhesive layers 1522, 1524 caninclude a pressure sensitive adhesive material. The adhesive layers1522, 1524 can have thicknesses between about 10 microns and about 100microns, or between about 25 microns and about 75 microns, for exampleabout 50 microns. The adhesive layers 1522, 1524 can have a hardness ofgreater than about 5, greater than about 10, greater than about 12, orgreater than about 15 or more on the Shore A hardness scale.

Thus, in some examples, the entire seal 1516 can have a thickness ofbetween about 200 microns and about 600 microns, or between about 300microns and about 600 microns, for example about 400 microns. Further,the seal can have a width of between about 500 microns and about 1500microns, or between about 750 microns and about 1250 microns, forexample about 900 microns.

Referring again to FIG. 12C, the width of the seal 1516 and/or the widthof the adhesive bond of the adhesive layers 1522, 1524 can be importantfor increasing the chemical resistance of the seal 1516 and preventingcorrosion of the seal 1516 and/or ingress of liquid or contaminants intothe internal volume therethrough.

FIGS. 12F and 12G illustrate cross-sectional views of alternative sealdesigns 1616 and 1716. In some examples, a seal 1616 can include arelatively stiff core material 1622 surrounded by a relatively soft orcompliant material 1620. In some examples, the core 1622 can include oneor more metals and/or polymers, such as stainless steel. The core 1622can then be overmolded with a polymer material 1620, such as a siliconematerial in any desired shape. In some examples, one or more layers ofadhesive 1625 can be disposed on one or more surfaces of the siliconelayer 1620 to adhere the seal 1616 to components such as a housing or acover.

The seal 1716 can also include a core 1722 that can include one or moremetals and/or polymers, such as stainless steel and that can beovermolded with a polymer material 1720, such as silicone. As shown, theseal 1716 can have a substantially X-shaped cross-section, for example,defining one or more indentations or divots that can extend partially orentirely along one or more surfaces of the seal 1716. In some examples,the shape of the seal 1716 can allow for desired levels of compressionor deformation of the seal 1716 to effectively dissipate energy and toprovide a desired level of sealing between components. Further detailsregarding components carried by the back cover 1430, such as a logicboard, are provided below with reference to FIGS. 13A-13D.

FIG. 13A shows a perspective view of a logic board 1850 of an electronicdevice, as described herein. The logic board 1850 can be substantiallysimilar to and can include some or all of the features of the logicboards described herein, such as logic board 1450. The logic board 1850can include a substrate 1852 that can include any desired material andthat can be a printed circuit board. Various components can be disposedon the substrate 1852, such as one or more processors, sensors, and/ormemory. One or more of the components can be overmolded with material toprovide a SiP 1854, as described herein. Additional components 1856 canbe disposed near and/or around the SiP 1854. An adhesive material can beused to connect the logic board 1850 to a back cover of a device, forexample, a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on an underside of thelogic board 1850, that is, the side opposite the components 1854, 1856.In order to ensure a desired level of adherence, it can be desirable toexert a pressure on the logic board 1850 against the back cover or othercomponent to which it is adhered. Thus, in some examples, the logicboard 1850 can include one or more posts 1858 that can be mechanicallyconnected to the substrate 1852 and on which desired levels of pressurecan be exerted, for example by a tool, to ensure desired levels ofadherence. In some examples, the post or posts 1858 can be surfacemounted to the substrate 1852 by any desired process. FIG. 13B shows atop view of the logic board 1850.

FIG. 13C shows a perspective view of a logic board 1950 that can besubstantially similar to and can include some or all of the features ofthe logic boards described herein, such as logic board 1850. In thisexample, the operational components adjacent or near the SiP 1954 thatare disposed on the substrate 1952 can also be overmolded with a polymermaterial 1956, as desired. In this way, pressure can be exerted on theovermold 1956 to ensure a desired level of adherence for the logic board1950. Additionally, the overmold 1956 can have a stepped geometry, asshown, thereby increasing a gap or distance between portions of theovermold 1956 and any overlying antennas to improve antenna performance.FIG. 13D shows a top view of the logic board 1950.

Any of the features or aspects of the devices and components discussedherein can be combined or included in any varied combination. Forexample, the design and shape of the components or devices is notlimited in any way and can be formed by any number of processes,including those discussed herein. As used herein, the terms exterior,outer, interior, and inner are used for reference purposes only. Anexterior or outer portion of a composite component can form a portion ofan exterior surface of the component, but may not necessarily form theentire exterior of outer surface thereof. Similarly, the interior orinner portion of a composite component can form or define an interior orinner portion of the component, but can also form or define a portion ofan exterior or outer surface of the component.

Various inventions have been described herein with reference to certainspecific embodiments and examples. However, they will be recognized bythose skilled in the art that many variations are possible withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the inventions disclosed herein,in that those inventions set forth in the claims below are intended tocover all variations and modifications of the inventions disclosedwithout departing from the spirit of the inventions. The terms“including:” and “having” come as used in the specification and claimsshall have the same meaning as the term “including.”

To the extent applicable to the present technology, gathering and use ofdata available from various sources can be used to improve the deliveryto users of invitational content or any other content that may be ofinterest to them. The present disclosure contemplates that in someinstances, this gathered data may include personal information data thatuniquely identifies or can be used to contact or locate a specificperson. Such personal information data can include demographic data,location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, TWITTER® ID's,home addresses, data or records relating to a user's health or level offitness (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information,exercise information), date of birth, or any other identifying orpersonal information.

The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personalinformation data, in the present technology, can be used to the benefitof users. For example, the personal information data can be used todeliver targeted content that is of greater interest to the user.Accordingly, use of such personal information data enables users tocalculated control of the delivered content. Further, other uses forpersonal information data that benefit the user are also contemplated bythe present disclosure. For instance, health and fitness data may beused to provide insights into a user's general wellness, or may be usedas positive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue wellnessgoals.

The present disclosure contemplates that the entities responsible forthe collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use ofsuch personal information data will comply with well-established privacypolicies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities shouldimplement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that aregenerally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmentalrequirements for maintaining personal information data private andsecure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users, and shouldbe updated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personalinformation from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonableuses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those legitimateuses. Further, such collection/sharing should occur after receiving theinformed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities shouldconsider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access tosuch personal information data and ensuring that others with access tothe personal information data adhere to their privacy policies andprocedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluationby third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacypolicies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should beadapted for the particular types of personal information data beingcollected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards,including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For instance, in the US,collection of or access to certain health data may be governed byfederal and/or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA); whereas health data in other countries maybe subject to other regulations and policies and should be handledaccordingly. Hence different privacy practices should be maintained fordifferent personal data types in each country.

Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplatesembodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to,personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplatesthat hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent orblock access to such personal information data. For example, in the caseof advertisement delivery services, the present technology can beconfigured to allow users to select to “opt in” or “opt out” ofparticipation in the collection of personal information data duringregistration for services or anytime thereafter. In another example,users can select not to provide mood-associated data for targetedcontent delivery services. In yet another example, users can select tolimit the length of time mood-associated data is maintained or entirelyprohibit the development of a baseline mood profile. In addition toproviding “opt in” and “opt out” options, the present disclosurecontemplates providing notifications relating to the access or use ofpersonal information. For instance, a user may be notified upondownloading an app that their personal information data will be accessedand then reminded again just before personal information data isaccessed by the app.

Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personalinformation data should be managed and handled in a way to minimizerisks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can beminimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once itis no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including incertain health related applications, data de-identification can be usedto protect a user's privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, whenappropriate, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth,etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g.,collecting location data a city level rather than at an address level),controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users),and/or other methods.

Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use ofpersonal information data to implement one or more various disclosedembodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the variousembodiments can also be implemented without the need for accessing suchpersonal information data. That is, the various embodiments of thepresent technology are not rendered inoperable due to the lack of all ora portion of such personal information data. For example, content can beselected and delivered to users by inferring preferences based onnon-personal information data or a bare minimum amount of personalinformation, such as the content being requested by the deviceassociated with a user, other non-personal information available to thecontent delivery services, or publicly available information.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specificembodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustrationand description. They are not target to be exhaustive or to limit theembodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations arepossible in view of the above teachings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A housing assembly of an electronic device,comprising: a housing component at least partially defining an exteriorsurface and an internal volume of the electronic device, the housingcomponent further defining: an aperture; a first planar surface at leastpartially surrounding a periphery of the aperture; and a housingsidewall adjacent to at least a portion of a periphery of the firstplanar surface opposite the aperture; a sealing component adhered to thefirst planar surface and surrounding the aperture; and a transparentcover overlying the aperture and defining: a second planar surfaceadhered on the sealing component opposite the first planar surface; anda cover sidewall oriented perpendicular to the first planar surface andspaced apart from the housing sidewall by a distance.
 2. The housingassembly of claim 1, wherein the sealing component comprises a firstadhesive layer adhered to the first planar surface, a second adhesivelayer adhered to the second planar surface, and a compliant layerdisposed between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer.3. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein the compliant layercomprises silicone rubber.
 4. The housing assembly of claim 2, furthercomprising: a first polymer layer disposed between the compliant layerand the first adhesive layer; and a second polymer layer disposedbetween the compliant layer and the second adhesive layer.
 5. Thehousing assembly of claim 2, wherein the compliant layer has a Shore Ahardness of between 5 and
 15. 6. The housing assembly of claim 1,wherein the sealing component has a thickness of between 200 microns and600 microns.
 7. The housing assembly of claim 2, wherein the compliantlayer has a thickness of between 50 microns and 500 microns.
 8. Thehousing assembly of claim 1, wherein the sealing component preventsingress of liquids into the internal volume at locations between thehousing component and the transparent cover.
 9. An electronic device,comprising: a housing at least partially defining an exterior surfaceand an internal volume of the electronic device, the housing furtherdefining: an aperture; a sealing surface at least partially surroundinga periphery of the aperture; and a datum surface offset from the sealingsurface and at least partially surrounding the periphery of theaperture; an electromagnetically transparent cover at least partiallyoccluding the aperture and secured to the housing, theelectromagnetically transparent cover defining a planar surface having ashape corresponding to a shape of the periphery of the aperture, theplanar surface contacting the datum surface and offset from the sealingsurface; and a sealing component disposed between and contacting thesealing surface and the planar surface.
 10. The electronic device ofclaim 9, wherein the sealing component comprises: a metallic ring havinga shape corresponding to a shape of the periphery of the aperture; and apolymer material surrounding the metallic ring.
 11. The electronicdevice of claim 9, wherein the sealing surface comprises a region thatis sloped relative to the sealing surface.
 12. The electronic device ofclaim 11, wherein the sealing component has a round cross-sectionalshape.
 13. An electronic device, comprising: a housing at leastpartially defining an exterior surface and an internal volume of theelectronic device; a display assembly positioned within the housing; afirst seal disposed between the housing and the display assembly; a backcover secured to the housing, the back cover including anelectromagnetically transparent component; a sensor disposed within thehousing and communicative with an external environment through theelectromagnetically transparent component; and a second seal disposedbetween the housing and the back cover.
 14. The electronic device ofclaim 13, wherein at least one of the first seal or the second sealcomprises a polymer material, a metal material, or a ceramic material.15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first seal isdeformable up to at least a predetermined amount of deformation.
 16. Theelectronic device of claim 13, further comprising a cover positionedover the display assembly.
 17. The electronic device of claim 16,wherein at least one of the cover or the display assembly is movablerelative to the housing in response to a force event.
 18. The electronicdevice of claim 17, wherein at least one of the cover or the displayassembly is movable based on an amount of deformation to the first seal.19. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the display assemblycomprises a force sensitive layer or component positioned adjacent tothe first seal.
 20. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the firstseal and the second seal define barriers to the ingress of liquids ormoisture into the internal volume from the external environment.